Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery in Blackburn has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.
A Very Special Place
Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery is a very special place and truly upholds its school Ethos of ‘One School – One Family.’ They demonstrate their ethos, aims and values of ‘learning, caring and growing together’ in every aspect of daily school life and children are very clearly at the heart of everything. The school instills inclusivity for all children, parents, and staff excellently which is why it was crystal clear that they are recommended to become a Centre of Excellence.
Staff Are Dedicated
All the staff at Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery go above and beyond to give every single child the best possible start to their lives, from as young as three years old, and continue to provide amazing experiences throughout their time at Meadowhead. All staff are highly dedicated, passionate, and caring, with some members of staff saying that Meadowhead is ‘the best place to work and I love coming to work.’ They certainly do go the ‘extra mile for all their children.’ There is an excellent Senior Leadership Team, headed by a newly appointed Headteacher, and the Governing Body is now strong, purposeful, and excited to move Meadowhead School even further forward. The Headteacher shared that he believes ‘every child should have an equal right to access the curriculum, regardless of their background or wealth.’ This value is clearly evident throughout Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery.
Children Are Happy
It was evident in all the classrooms that every single child was happy, engaged and included. School Council members were keen to state that ‘teachers in school are so fun’ and that they ‘feel proud to be part of the School Council.’ They felt that they represent their school well and have successfully planned and organised several events in the School Community. They said that when they recognised the teachers in school were tired and a bit fed up, they planned to cheer them up with love hearts and sweets. I bet that certainly helped and such kind thoughts were appreciated! Children also completed drawings to show children and families the correct PE kit and uniform to buy on their school website.
The Forest School
The school has successfully developed its Forest School of which children are very proud. Every class gets to visit the Forest School once a half term and it is also accessed for class story time. The Eco Team created nature pictures which they confidently shared.
A Nurturing School
Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery currently has one hundred and seventy-three children on roll of which almost half (46%) live within the bottom 5% of deprivation nationally, with 82% in the bottom 20%. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is 62% compared to the national average of just 23%. There is a high level of Special Educational Needs within the school, which manifests in every class having over 30% of children with Special Educational Needs. The Pupil Wellbeing Coordinator plays a vital role within school and they are currently supporting a high number of parents and families. Parents and carers described the school in one word as ‘nurturing.’ They also said that they always feel welcomed and supported by the school and that staff across the school are very understanding of parents’ needs. It was very clear that Meadowhead is a pillar of the community and so much more than ‘just’ a school.
Improving Attendance
The school has worked exceptionally hard on improving attendance which is now 94% – with a lot of children currently on 99%. This is amazing progress for the whole school community. New procedures have been devised and put into place to tackle persistent absenteeism and children with exceptional attendance are invited to a special reward night.
Everyone Is Involved
The Governors felt that special educational needs and inclusivity are at the heart of everything at the school; and that SEN is identified early.
One Governor said that they ‘feel proud to be at the school’ and one shared ‘it is the first school I feel comfortable in, everyone is involved, and everyone adds value.’
Find out more about the IQM Inclusive School Award
If your school is interested in obtaining the IQM Inclusive School Award or you wish to talk to a member of the IQM team please telephone:
028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)
or email: [email protected] for further details.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack